Tennessee Technological University - Appalachian Center for Craft

Vince Pitelka, 2006

Glue Talk

Whenever using glue in your artwork, it is essential that you consider not only the efficiency of different kinds of glue but also the aesthetics.  Make sure that the glues you choose work with your idea, both structurally and visually.   Hot glue left visible looks like big dripping globs of puss.  That might be just what you want, or it could ruin the appearance of your work.  Craftsmanship is part of the grade.  In this case, craftsmanship means doing things purposefully in a way that is appropriate to your concept and intent and the requirements of the assignment.

White Glue

Welcome to the wonderful world of white glue, a truly extraordinary material.  Any of you who have worked in acrylic paints have probably used plain acrylic medium, which is a white liquid that dries clear, and can be used as an adhesive, a clear overglaze, or a vehicle for colored pigments.  White glue is pretty much the same thing, but much cheaper. 

Any sort of fragile materials like dry leaves or feathers may be dipped or brushed with a thin coat of white glue thinned with water.  It will change the surface character a little, but when dry they will be strong and resilient.  You can also use white glue thinned with water as an overall gloss varnish. 

Mix white glue with any sort of powdered material such as fine sawdust or dry clay in order to thicken the material for textural effects or to make a modeling paste for achieving raised relief.  You can mix it with any sort of textural materials such as sawdust, sand, coffee grounds, dry leaves, or pine needles.

A milky mix of white glue and water is the ideal adhesive for paper mache, either with paper pulp or with strips of paper, and when dry the results will be very hard and durable.  This mix works great for laminating the surface of objects with collage materials very quickly.  This is a great way to achieve color, pattern, and texture by using found materials rather than paint. 

The possibilities are endless. 

Hot Glue

Hot glue is a great innovation because it gives an immediate bond.  For that reason it is especially good for assembling collage and assemblage work, especially when time is limited.  Let your hot glue gun heat up completely before use, and after applying hot glue be sure to join the desired surfaces or objects immediately in order to get maximum adhesive strength.  If the glue cools at all it loses its grabbing ability, and your work will fall apart. 

As mentioned above, carefully consider the aesthetic of hot glue.  You must plan and control the use of this material so that it is appropriate to your intent. Hot glue creates a fragile bond, especially with smooth shiny surfaces, and does not transport well.  If you use hot glue and then drop your project it will disintegrate. 

Silicone Sealer/Caulking/Adhesive

All three are basically the same thing.  Silicone adhesives are a little more expensive, but are extremely versatile and effective.  They come in plastic squeeze tubes or in larger caulking tubes that fit in a cheap caulking gun.  Silicone adhesives bonds aggressively even with smooth or shiny objects, and remain slightly flexible, so that the work transports easily without problems.  The only disadvantage of silicone is that many standard paints will not stick to it, but it does come in clear, white, black, gray, and brown.  There are other kinds of caulking compounds available, so make sure that you get a pure silicone product. 

Super Glue

This stuff has everyone’s attention, but for our purposes it’s useless.  Trust me on this - don’t use it.  Super glue only works well when there is a very tight, clean connection with no gaps, and it is quite fragile except when used on tight-fitting porous materials.  Smooth, shiny surfaces attached with super-glue can pop apart with very little pressure.  The quick-drying feature is inviting, but hot glue will give you that, and it fills gaps and voids. 

Epoxy

Epoxies are more expensive, and are only appropriate for certain applications.  They always come in two separate component parts, and have the advantage of quick hardening time and tremendous strength, as long as you mix the two parts properly.  Blend the two parts together on an old plastic lid or some other disposable surface according to the product directions.  Epoxy doesn’t clean up easily, so avoid getting it where you don’t want it. 

When used between properly prepared porous surfaces, epoxies give the strongest glue bond possible.  The material itself cures extremely hard and durable, but the bonding strength depends on the nature and preparation of the surfaces.  Be sure to clean surfaces very carefully before applying epoxy adhesives.  Even when the surfaces are properly prepared, epoxies can release from smooth shiny surfaces when subjected to shock or with long-term exposure to a humid atmosphere.  Once applied and hardened, you can paint epoxy surfaces with any acrylic or enamel paint. 

Make sure to select an epoxy that is appropriate for the application.  Common epoxy adhesives available in most grocery, office supply, and hardware stores are good for tight-fitting surfaces, but are too fluid to fill a void and will sag and flow before they dry.  Epoxy pastes, such as PC-7 (Maddux Hardware) or JB-Weld (hardware, most auto parts stores) are suitable for applications where you need to fill gaps, and PC-7 is stiff enough that it may be formed almost like putty. 

True epoxy putties come in two strips.   To use them, you tear off equal parts and knead them together thoroughly.  They are ideal for fabricating small parts and connections.  For example, epoxy putty would be appropriate if you need to join two dowels together at a right angle with a high strength connection that will support some weight.  In that case, you would completely surround the joint with a nodule of epoxy putty, formed into the desired shape.